A few weeks ago we shared some tidbits that pointed towards an upcoming Essential phone but very little was known about the phone itself. Today Essential CEO and father of Android has shared some interesting pics of possibly the next Essential phone.
If you were hoping for something different from all the run of the mill phones we are seeing these days you are in luck. If this really is the new Essential phone it is an entirely new form factor — no where in any Tweet does Andy Rubin say that this is the new Essential phone and he may just be visiting Boston Dynamics (an unreleased Spot is in the background) and captured the images of a totally different phone while there.
https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1181688540540764160
https://twitter.com/Arubin/status/1181688574975983616
Not only is it the longest, thinnest phone we have seen (looks like a remote control) but it also runs an entirely new UI according to another Tweet. We assume it is still Android but obviously has some extensive customisation to make it fit and work with the new form factor. We can see a maps app but doesn’t look like any Google Maps interface we have seen before, an Uber, calendar and weather app.
Of course Andy is trying to get us to focus on the colours of the phone which is not what everyone is seeing and I suspect he knew that when he Tweeted them. There are two reasons why he would Tweet out these images — he has seen what has happened with the Pixel 4 and wants to get out in front of all the leaks etc that will undoubtedly occur or it is not actually the Essential phone at all and is some weird communicator thing made by Boston Dynamics but thought he’d troll the internet with images of it.
Whatever the case we are looking forward to seeing if anyone ever claims ownership to this device, what it is and how it functions. What do you think? Essential Ph-two or trolling by Andy Rubin?
[EDIT] Essential has Tweeted out from their official account showing their new ProjectGEM phone letting us know that it is in early testing:
We've been working on a new device to reframe your perspective on mobile. It's now in early testing with our team outside the lab. Look forward to sharing more in the near future! #ProjectGEM pic.twitter.com/BnVy7yM2Kj
— Essential (@essential) October 9, 2019
Essential has confirmed this phone is theirs.
Andy Rubin… by all accounts ( that seem credible ), a rather S&*^ human being.
Personally, happy to NOT support him – although there are probably many wonderful people working at essential that do deserve our support.
Gee look , some one glued two old Nokia’s end to end and painted them 😄 . . In all seriousness , that is a terrible form factor, Who would want one third of their phone in their Pocket and two thirds hanging out ? I hope he hasn’t wasted his dosh making a phone like that. The funny thing is , there are a shit load of people that hate the current trendy long skinny form factor …….. Because it just sucks ! And if you have medium to large hands with big ish fingers , it sucks twice… Read more »